



* • • • 4 > 




* ++ A* •* 



;.♦ / % 'J&fcy % 




X^ 








» »^ • < 

• a^ o * 



••" *V 



A«* -^ % 0° 






V ** *« 






^cr 



*bK 









r»~ o » • ^U 











A* 
A * 






^V* *<J'*^**V** \/^?'V* ^"^i**^ 



e v 













* v^v v^-y v^v \ 







We 

Must 

Stop 



FOREST FIRES 



IN MASSACHUSETTS 



F. W. RANE 



STATE FORESTER 



Ty\ o-<^ • St,&^-. -^p-v • 



WE MUST STOP 



FOREST FIRES 



IN 



MASSACHUSETTS. 



I. A Word from the State Forester. 
II. What happened during the Past Year. 

III. Letters from Towns that are doing Something (read them and 

see if your Town is there). 

IV. Suggestions and Equipment for All Towns (Forest Wardens 

take Notice, and let your Towns know what they should do). 
V. Official List of Massachusetts Forest Wardens. 




BOSTON: 

WRIGHT & POTTER PRTNTING CO., STATE PRINTERS, 

18 Post Office Square. 

1909. 






Approved by 
The State Board of Publication. 



CONTENTS. 



A word from the State Forester, 

Massachusetts forest fires of 1908, .... 

Table on damage by causes, 

Table on causes by months, 

Table on acreage and damage by months, . 

Summary of fires by months, 

Fire fighting and protection as carried on by enterprising 

Forest wardens 1 letters, 

On forest fire protection and apparatus, 

Organization and fire lines, 

Fire patrol, 

Damage by forest fires, 

Miscellaneous points — extracts from wardens' letters, 
Address list of forest wardens, 



towns, 



5 

6 

7 

9 

10 

9-13 

14 

14-23 

23 

24 

25-27 

28 

29-31 

32-43 




KINGSTON FIRE, JULY, 1908. 



FOEEST FIEES IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



I. A WORD FROM THE STATE FORESTER. 

Do you know, good people of this grand old Bay State, that 
annually we are allowing fires to run rampant over Massachusetts? 
We talk about putting out shade trees along our roadsides, in our 
public squares and about our homes, which is all very good; but 
forestry or the lumber crop is the only thing that will fill in the 
background of the painting, that will produce the ideal Massachu- 
setts of the future. 

Forest fires have destroyed and are continuing to deplete the very 
birthright of town after town, and hence the Commonwealth. Take 
a trip with me throughout the State and see the utter wanton waste 
and destructiveness of man on every hand. Lands by the thousands 
of acres are to-day standing idle that but yesterday bore magnificent 
primeval forests from which it is said the graceful spars of the 
English navy were cut. These same soils, whether barren, rocky, 
sandy, hilly or mountainous, the veritable eyesores of the State, are 
as capable as ever of producing noble forests at our bidding, pro- 
vided we, as people, rise to the occasion by stifling the fire demon, 
and educating our present and coming generations to the im- 
portance of so grand and beneficial a work as the practice of modern 
forestry. 

The time has come, as a business proposition alone, leaving out 
the great aesthetic value, when we can ill afford not to establish 
definite fundamental principles of constructive forestry in this 
State. Two and one-half million acres of non-agricultural lands, 
producing a thousand feet board measure of white pine per acre, 
for example, per year, at stumpage value of $5 to $10, would mean 
an income of $12,000,000 to $25,000,000 a year. Is this not worth 
thinking of ? 

Was there ever a State more worthy of our endeavors? The 
eastern part of the State presents one aspect, the beautiful Berk- 
shires another and the grand old Cape country is pathetically in 
need of our special attention. Every part of Massachusetts is a 



natural forest country, and were we to move out of the State, nature 
would reclothe the whole territory in a relatively short time. This 
fact alone is suggestive enough, and if we will but stop fires and 
assist nature we must succeed. 

This bulletin on the subject of forest fires is published that our 
people may realize more fully the exact condition, and especially 
for the benefit of our forest wardens and their deputies, that they 
may know what other towns in the State are doing, thereby gaining 
new ideas and being enabled more intelligently to accomplish good 
results in their own communities. 

The State Forester is proud of the showing that the forest 
wardens have made in their first year of service, and desires in 
every way possible to assist and further their public-spirited en- 
deavors. 

It certainly is hoped that this bulletin will be made use of and 
that some good will result therefrom. 

II. MASSACHUSETTS FOREST FIRES OF 1908. 

The past year has been one of great interest to any one interested 
in the forest fire situation in Massachusetts. 

In the first place, it is the first and trial year of the new system 
of forest fire fighting. Forest fire work in each town is in charge 
of an officer called a forest warden, who is appointed by the local 
authorities, their choice being confirmed by the State Forester. In 
cities and towns having an organized fire department, the chief is 
usually the forest warden, or a deputy. The warden does his fire 
fighting in the interest of and at the expense of the town, but 
reports the fires, with their extent and damage, to the State For- 
ester. The reports which were sent in this year form the material 
out of which the following tables were made, and make a valuable 
contribution to the knowledge of forest fires, concerning their causes 
and extent, etc. 

In the second place, the season of 1908 was one of extraordinary 
drought, — a condition extremely favorable to the spread of forest 
fires and to increasing their damage, for when the ground is dry, 
the fire burns deeply into the soil. This drought, caused by a defi- 
ciency of 17 per cent, in the annual rainfall, was intensified at times 
by more than the usual number of high winds. 

"We have, then, a new system of fire protection and of collecting 
the data, started in a year calling for unusual activity. Let us 
examine the results. 



Table 1. — General Table on Damage and Acreage, by Causes. 





i 


> 


3 
u 
PQ 
to 


03 




CO 
E 


00 

h 

V 

o 


3 

O 

9 

,3 






1 


a 

o 
o 

o 


'3 
s 


<0 

M 

o 

3 


>> 
o 


s 

3 


u 
u 

<0 


v 


"5 
o 




t> 


1-1 


« 


cc 


M 


w 


« 


§ 


H 


Number of fires re- 


337 


539 


96 


111 


58 


18 


11 


209 


1,379 


ported. 




















Reports having dam- 


$72,936 


$27,938 


$18,000 


$28,000 


$3,500 


$7,000 


$2,500 


$49,874 


$209,748 


age estimated. 




















Damage on burned 


$7,749 


$4,869 


$2,913 


$5,040 


$800 


$1,603 


$700 


$7,492 


$40,396 


acreage not given 




















in reports, esti- 




















mated. 




















Total damage, . 


$90,415 


$32,307 


$20,913 


$33,040 


$4,300 


$8,603 


$3,200 


(57,366 


$250,144 


Burned area on 


6,491 


3,840 


3,958 


5,163 


957 


957 


1,796 


V>7s 


27,740 


which damage was 




















reported (acres), . 




















Burned area on 


23.4 


13.8 


14.2 


18.6 


3.4 


3.4 


6.4 


16.8 


- 


which damage was 




















reported (per 




















cent.). 




















Burned area for 


1,638 


966 


994 


1,302 


238 


238 


448 


1,176 


7,002 


which no damage 




















was given (acres). 




















Burned area not tab- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


4,596 


ulated by months 




















(acres). 




















Total area reported 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


991 


as not damaged 




















(acres). 




















Total acreage 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


- 


40,327 


burned (acres). 





















There are 342 towns and cities in the Commonwealth which have 
forest wardens, out of which, 234, or 68 per cent., reported that 
they had 1,379 fires; 15, or 5 per cent., reported that they had no 
fires ; 93, or 27 per cent., sent in no reports. Just how many of this 
last class had fires to report and neglected to do so it is impossible 
to state, but it must have been many, because we cannot believe 
that all these towns were without fires when their neighbors were 
reporting many. Probably about 20 per cent, should be added to 
the figures in the table for the number, acreage and damage of fires, 
to allow for the negligence of these wardens. 

The number of acres reported as burned over was 40,327. Esti- 
mating the forest area of the State at 2,500,000 acres, — and to do 
this we have to include all the scrub growth and thinly stocked 
pasture, — we find that 1 acre in 62 has been burned. Looking at 
it in another way, it means that the entire forest area of the State 
might be burned over every sixty-two years. Taking the entire land 
area of the State, it is 1 acre in 123. On the United States national 
forests it is 1 in 10,000 acres, and in Germany 1 in 15,000 acres 
which are annually burned. 



8 

The average damage per acre was $6.20, and the total damage 
$250,000. To this should be added 20 per cent., or $50,000, for 
towns not reporting, making a total estimated damage caused by 
forest fires in 1908 of $300,000. Even with the allowances made 
we do not arrive at the true damage caused by forest fires, because, 
for reasons which will be discussed in another chapter, it is exceed- 
ingly difficult to reduce the damage to terms of dollars and cents, 
and, indeed, some of it cannot be so estimated. The damage caused 
by fire in woodlands is in the long run greatly underrated. 

In the following table, which is not quite complete, because it was 
made up before all the reports came in, we have the number of fires 
arranged by causes and months. We find a great variety of causes, 
26 in all, not including the large number in the column headed 
unknown. 

Railroads are the largest producers of forest fires, with nearly 
40 per cent, of the total. Next comes the unknown, with 25 per 
cent. Then there is 8 per cent, caused by smokers and 7 per cent, 
from burning brush. If some of the unknown fires could be traced 
out, probably smokers would figure more heavily in the total. In- 
cendiary and boys setting fires maliciously, which we imagine is 
much the same thing, together make 11 per cent. ' 

It ought to be noted that of all the 1,299 fires, 5, or .3 per cent., 
which were set by lightning, were the only ones which were abso- 
lutely not preventable. The rest in large part could have been pre- 
vented if people would go to the same lengths that they do in cities. 
A small city of 25,000 population, Avith a property valuation of 
$20,000,000, spends about $30,000 a year on its fire department, or 
an expenditure of $1.50 per $1,000 of the valuation. Information 
collected in 1906 by the State Forester showed that in 1905 311 
towns spent $30,000 for fighting fires. The forested area of the 
State can be roughly valued at $50,000,000, which makes the ex- 
penditure on forest fires about 60 cents per $1,000 of their valua- 
tion. With proper care and safeguards we could attain such a 
condition as that in Prussia, where in twenty-five years only 1,400 
acres were burned over on the average each year, or .02 of 1 per 
cent. In Bavaria, during five years it averaged only .007 of 1 per 
cent, of the total forest area. Compare this with an enlightened 
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with an average of 1 per cent, 
or more. 



Table 2. — Fires by Causes and Months. 



Causes of Forest Fires. 


J3 
CD 
h 
c3 
S 


< 


d 


CD 
1-5 


"3 

1-5 


QQ 

a 


1 
2 

CD 

CO 


o 
| 

CD 

o 


u 

CD 

a 

CD 

s* 

o 


00 

3 

o 
H 


o 

M 
CD 
0U 


Rerry pickers, .... 
Blasting fuse, .... 
Boys setting (ires maliciously, . 

Burning: brush 

Campers' fires 

Carelessness 

Children playing with matches, 
Coals dumped by locomotives 

and others. 
Cranberry pickers, 
Fire balloons, .... 
Firecrackers, .... 

Gypsy Moth Commission men, . 

Incendiary 

Locomotive sparks, . 

Picnic and May parties, 

Rubbish fire 

Section men burning railroad 
ties and brush. 

Smokers' pipes, cigars, cigar- 
ettes anil matches. 

Steam portable sawmill, . 

Tramps setting fire, . 

Sparks from burning buildings, 
Sparks from forest fires, . 
VVood choppers cooking, . 


1 

1 
1 

1 

2 

8 

3 
4 

•21 


28 

53 
1 
3 

2 
2 

6 
1 

48 

199 

•-' 

3 
39 

1 

105 


11 

21 

2 

3 

1 

lfi 

93 

5 

23 

6 
39 


3 
3 

6 
1 
2 

5 
I 

29 

1 

10 
4 

2S 


9 
3 

2 
3 

1 

4 

4 
65 

1 

13 

1 
1 
35 
3 
2 


1 
1 

2 

2 

1 

3 


1 

2 

1 
1 

1 

2 

1 

5 

5 

1 

21 

41 


1 

12 
6 

2 

4 

4 

16 

16 

68 
2 

1 

14 

1 

74 
2 
3 
2 


2 

1 
1 

1 
3 

21 

1 

3 

5 

1 


11 
1 

58 

'.Ml 
1 
16 
13 
4 

1 

3 

11 

18 
92 

5 
490 

4 
16 

3 

111 

12 

3 

314 

5 
5 
3 


4.0 
7.0 

1.0 

1.5 

7.0 

.3 

38.0 

8.0 

1-0 

25.0 


Totals 


500 


220 


93 


147 


10 


228 


39 


1,299 


- 



Summary by Months. 

The following is a brief summary of the fires for each month, 
the object being to show the effect of different seasons on the 
frequency of forest fires. It may be said in passing that ordinarily 
the danger season runs from the 15th of March to the 1st of June 
and from the 15th of September to the 1st of December, but on 
account of the drought conditions which existed last year the sum- 
mer season was little different from the spring and fall in its lia- 
bility to fire. 

The following table gives the acreage burned and the resulting 
damage for each month. It is not quite complete, as some of the 
wardens withheld their reports until the close of the year, too late 
to be included with the others, but their number is small and they 
do not materially affect the comparison. , 



10 



Table 3. — Acreage and Damage by Months. 



Acres. 



Damage. 



Damage per 
Acre. 



March, . 
April, 
May, 
June, 
July, 
August, . 
September, 
October, . 
November, 
Totals, 



236 
16,262 
5,856 
1,195 
6,109 
1,567 
1,062 
7,084 

301 



39,672 



$420 
52,731 
48,506 
17,824 
2S.783 
22,320 

3,140 
29,960 

1,468 



$205,152 



3 25 

8 28 
14 91 

4 71 
14 25 

2 95 
4 22 

4 88 



March. 

Many towns failed to make reports of forest fires during the early 
days of March, because the new system of appointing forest wardens 
did not become established in smooth running order until the latter 
part of the month. The figures for this month are not, therefore, 
worth analyzing. 

April. 

During this month woodland conditions were extremely favorable 
to the spread of forest fires. Not only was the rainfall light, but a 
succession of strong winds from the northwest blew much of the 
time. The consequence was that the moisture in the upper soil 
was quickly dried, leaving the debris on the forest floor in an in- 
flammable condition. 

The wardens' reports for Sunday the 26th and Thursday the 23d 
amounted to 40 fires for each day, the record for the year. Sunday 
the 5th and the 12th, the latter the date of the Chelsea fire, were 
next in order. Three Sundays in April show a total of 148 fires, 
almost one-third the total for the month. 

Prominent among the causes were locomotives, equal to 39.8 per 
cent., and burning brush, 10.6 per cent. Next in order came fires 
caused by discarded smoking material, equal to 7.8 per cent. 

"Wardens' returns in April show the largest area burned and the 
greatest estimated damage for the whole season. As compared with 
some other months the per acre damage was less, but this may have 



11 

been accounted for by the fact that more moisture lay near the 
surface than later in the season, which prevented the fire burning 
very deep or long enough in one place to do much damage. 

May. 

The largest number of fires for any one day in this month came 
on the 19th, being 25 in all, or 11 per cent, of the total. The prin- 
cipal causes were locomotives, 41 per cent., smokers, 10.4 per cent., 
and burning brush, 9.5 per cent. Fires set deliberately were 5 per 
cent, of the total, while the remaining 25 per cent, were due to 
unknown or scattering causes. 

Most of the spring rains this year came in May and gave the 
grass and verdure a good start, nevertheless it did not prevent the 
fires in May from being more destructive than those in April, their 
per acre damage being $8.28, as against $3.25 for the previous 
month. 

June. 

According to expectations June reveals a marked reduction in 
point of number of fires. May showed a falling off over April, and 
June has 127 less fires than May. 

The dry weather continued, with a showing of 31.2 per cent, for 
locomotive fires, a reduction from May and April of nearly one- 
fourth, due probably to the infrequency of high winds. Smokers 
with 11 per cent, and 5 per cent, for boys are about the same as 
the average of the previous months. 

The acreage burned in June was 4,661 less than that of May 
and the damage $30,682 smaller. 

July. 

The lack of rain in June produced a drought in July, which dried 
up the growing vegetation so that fire ran through the green leaves 
almost as freely as through the dead debris of previous years. 

Forest warden reports reveal an increase of 54 fires over June, 
whereas a decrease in the number would ordinarily be expected. 

The most prolific source of fires was again the railroads, with 1 L2 
per cent., an increase of 13 per cent, over the figures for the pre- 
vious month. Smokers maintain their average with 8.8 per cent. 
Fires escaping from persons burning up brush while clearing land, 
either because insufficient aid was at hand to keep them in check or 
because they were left overnight unattended, amounted to only 2 



12 

per cent, of the whole number, while in April, which is the brush- 
burning season, such fires were the second largest cause. 

It may be here remarked that fires from this cause are exceed- 
ingly reprehensible, because they are quite unnecessary when proper 
precautions are observed. Such fires cannot be classed as purely 
accidental. 

August. 

Fires in August were the least in point of numbers of any month 
of the season. To offset this advantage, however, they proved quite 
destructive and burned over a large area. 

Locomotives lead the list of causes, with 20 per cent, of the 
month's total. Burning brush also foots up to 20 per cent., which 
points to a complete disregard of responsibility on the part of per- 
sons starting such fires at an unseasonable time of the year and in 
the face of a severe drought. Smokers furnished 10 per cent. 

The fires of August were more extensive than usual, for although 
July had fourteen times as many fires, their area was only three 
times as great. The reason for this is not apparent. 

September. 

A marked increase in the number of fires appears for September 
over August, the numbers being as 41 is to 10. August was unique 
in having more than its normal rainfall, but September was not so 
blessed. 

An examination of the prominent causes shows that locomotive 
fires drop to 12.2 per cent., which is far below the average. Smok- 
ers were responsible for a like amount. The reports which gave 
cause unknown made up 51 per cent., far too great an amount. 

The estimated damage and acreage of the fires were small con- 
sidering the conditions, which were as favorable to the spread of 
fires as were those of some other months that show greater totals. 
It is probable that much of the land particularly liable to fire, espe- 
cially along the railroads, had by this time been burned over, and 
was immune for the rest of the year. 

October. 
The second drought of the year 1908, which commenced in Sep- 
tember, was by this time in full swing, so that the woodlands were 
again abnormally dry. Fires of considerable extent raged, particu- 
larly in the Berkshires, which up to this time had not suffered a 
great deal. The acreage burned was the second largest of the sea- 



13 

son, although it was less than half as great as the record month of 
April. 

A greater loss was prevented by the timely arrival of rain during 
the latter part of the month. 

Locomotives, with 30 per cent, of the fires to their credit or dis- 
credit, still lead, although below their yearly average. Hunters 
appear, as we might expect at this time, and are the cause of 7.7 
per cent, of the fires. Smokers, whom we imagine are often hunters, 
fall a little below their average, and into third place, 6 per cent. 
Mischievous boys were responsible for 5.3 per cent., which indicates 
that the young generation need some sharp lessons to instil in them 
a decent regard for other people's property and the value of forest 
land. 

November. 

This is the tenth and last month of the season of 1908, and the 
number of fires and their damage falls abruptly. The figures for 
this month are not quite complete on account of delayed reports, 
but they give some clew to the fire damage which we should expect 
under ordinary conditions. The figures for November are below 
those of the summer months. When given average conditions, we 
should expect more and serious fires in the fall, when the ground is 
covered with fallen leaves. 

Locomotives run high this month, with 54 per cent, of the fires, 
and smokers hold to their usual average, with 7.6 per cent. Fires 
set by boys amounted to 5.1 per cent. 

Addenda. 

There were three fires resulting in a severe financial loss so much 
greater than the average that they are worthy of mention. On 
May 19 sparks from a portable sawmill set fire to a stack of lumber 
valued at $10,000. A similar loss of lumber was reported from 
Carlisle June 28, caused by a lightning bolt. The heaviest single 
loss was reported from Orleans, July 15, which amounted to 
$15,000. Dwellers in large cities are accustomed to fires causing 
far greater loss than these, but in small country towns such sums 
are very considerable. 

During the present season no less than nine men have been 
arrested for unlawfully starting fires, which arrests resulted in the 
payment of a fine or imprisonment or both. 

At Clinton one forest fire fighter was burned to death and in 
Franklin a man died of heart disease while fighting fire. So far 
as known these were the only casualties. 



14 



III. FIRE FIGHTING AND PROTECTION AS CARRIED ON BY 
ENTERPRISING TOWNS. 

The best information on forest fire fighting should logically come 
from those men who are doing this work, and we have therefore 
included abstracts from letters of various wardens who have kindly 
contributed their ideas. It is recognized that conditions vary over 
the State, and that a method of forest fire fighting used in one 
town may not be feasible in another. Again, this office, by publish- 
ing these letters, does not by that act endorse the ideas and views 
contained therein, but offers them so that the readers may draw 
their own conclusions. The selection of reports has been made so 
as to include some from towns with an organized fire department 
as well as some without. 

Extracts prom Letters of Forest Wardens. 

James W. Cutting, Forest Warden, Braintree. 

Fire fighting here depends largely on general conditions and extent of 
the territory, the topography and the wind. Fires are usually discovered 
by a lookout on the cliff or the mill tower. 

A wagon is at once driven as near the scene as possible. One man 
takes an extinguisher and goes along the line, deadening the flames, while 
three others follow, one of whom carries the soda pail and acid box 
while the other two carry a can of water each. As soon as the cans are 
emptied they are returned to the wagon and full ones are taken to the 
front by one of the men, while the other takes the five empty cans for a new 
supply. Men with shovels and rakes follow after the extinguisher to beat 
out any remaining fire. Back fires are only resorted to in cases of par- 
ticular emergency. 

The town of Braintree owns an express wagon, 6 extinguishers, an acid 
box containing 100 charges, 30 water cans and 18 rakes and brooms. The 
soda pails are provided with hinged covers, to keep out the dirt. The 
water cans have covers which prevent slopping over and pitcher mouths 
for ease in filling extinguishers and to stop waste. The Star extinguishers 
have been used with good results. The soda is not added to the water 
until reaching the fire. In case the fire is very hot an extra charge of 
soda is used, to throw the stream further. The Star will stand this extra 
pressure. Soda should be sifted if lumpy, because it will not dissolve 
quickly otherwise. A copper wire should be carried with each extinguisher, 
to clean out the tube. To prevent the brooms from taking fire they should 
be saturated with salt water. The hose should be covered with a covering 
of electric tape, to prevent its being shrivelled by the heat. 

On an alarm of fire our wagon picks up the men along the way. If 
more men are needed than the warden's force, the fire alarm is rung, 
but no man receives pay unless put to work by the warden. The rate pre- 
scribed by the town is 30 cents per hour. 




BRAINTREE WAGON. 



15 

Those communities provided with an electric alarm system are in a 
position of advantage, as they can use a special call for forest fires, with 
a resulting economy of time which is of great importance. 

Experience in Braintree has shown that 6 extinguishers are sufficient 
for a small crew. This would be on a basis of four men to a crew. The 
supplies needed consist of 2 pails of soda and 1 of acid, in addition to 
50 bottles in the carrier, 12 cans of water and 4 shovels. 

The town uses the Star and Holloway extinguishers. Any re- 
versible extinguisher is unreliable, according to Mr. Cutting, after 
having been shaken about in the wagon. Those charged by refilling 
the acid bottles take up too much time. The Holloway works by 
the breaking of the bottle. The water cans have proved very handy, 
rendering good service. They are made of galvanized iron, cover 
attached with a chain, and with a bail handle for ease in carrying 
in the woods. 

John Breagy, Forest Warden, Dover. 

Sometime ago the town purchased a fire wagon. As Dover has no water 
system, the wagon was equipped with ladders, two or three dozen milk 
cans, 18 Brict hand pumps and 6 hand chemical extinguishers. 

The cans cost $9 per dozen, while the pumps were $54 per dozen and 
the extinguishers were $14 apiece. The wagon without equipment cost 
$500. Two 54-gallon barrels filled with water were also placed on the 
wagon. The force pumps threw a stream 30 feet. 

E. A. White, Chief of Fire Department and Forest Warden, 
Foxborough. 

The town has its own horses and a regular wagon equipped for forest 
fires. The outfit consists of 8 extinguishers, 20 4-gallon milk cans, 2 
tanks holding 50 gallons, and 12 shovels. A 50-pound keg of soda and 100 
bottles of acid are carried along to recharge the extinguishers. The Hol- 
loway extinguisher is used. 

Foxborough has an alarm system, and when the warden or one of the 
engineers is notified of a woods fire he sounds an alarm, which consists of 
three strokes three times repeated. This calls out twelve men, picked for 
forest fire work. If the required number do not appear within five minutes 
a second alarm is given which calls the entire department. 

At the fire four men use the extinguishers and four men follow with a 
couple of cans of water each, and two men bring the soda and the acid. 
Other men armed with shovels come behind to finish all remaining blaze. 
In times of necessity a back fire is set, but only rarely. 

Forty cents an hour is the rate prescribed by the town, and no one 
outside of the regular force is hired unless the fire is extremely severe, 
and then they must be well-known, good men. 

The new law in regard to setting fire without a permit between April 
and December was adopted by the town last year and has proved a great 



16 

success. A printed form is used for the permits, and no one receives 
one unless he can satisfy the warden that he can protect himself and 
others against the spread of fire. 

Edward R. Farrar, Forest Warden, Lincoln. 

In Lincoln, whoever sees a forest fire notifies the nearest fire company 
by telephone. There are three wagons, located in separate districts. 

Besides the above-mentioned apparatus, Mr. Chas. Francis Adams has 
a light express wagon which he keeps loaded with 8 extinguishers and 
20 milk cans filled with water, which is always offered when needed. 

On the estate of Major Higginson, near by, 12 extinguishers are kept 
for a similar purpose, and 12 more may be obtained if necessary. Many 
other citizens have extinguishers to be had in time of need. 

When fighting forest fires we send men ahead with extinguishers and 
cans of water, and behind these follow careful men with shovels, to put 
out the remaining fire. 

Jas. J. Shepard, Forest Warden, Pembroke. 

A definite plan of operation at forest fires is followed in Pembroke. 
When the apparatus arrives at the fire a man starts along the blaze with 
an extinguisher. He does not stop to extinguish everything, as another 
man or more follow on to put out the fire left by the first. Generally a 
man or two with extinguishers can deaden the fire so that men with shovels 
can complete the job. Meanwhile I set one man at work refilling ex- 
tinguishers and bringing supplies of water. Cans are preferred to tanks, 
as they can be carried into the woods, whereas a tank must remain in one 
place and the extinguishers be carried to it. 

During the drought this year I issued an order through our local paper 
stating that permits for fires would not be issued until rain came. A re- 
quest was also published asking for the co-operation of the people. For- 
tunately we escaped the infliction of the severe fires which some of our 
neighbors suffered from. 

One of our wagons went to a fire located in a large house, while directly 
across the road were three more buildings with the wind blowing towards 
them. Our men went out on the roofs with the extinguishers, and as 
fast as the shingles caught put them out. All the buildings were saved. 
It was three miles from the place where the wagon was kept to the fire, 
but the driver got there in eighteen minutes from the time the telephone 
message was received. The above merely shows that the wagons serve 
the town in more than one capacity. 

The cost of our three wagons and equipment, consisting for each wagon 
of 14 Standard extinguishers supplied with extra heavy cover and a patent 
shutoff, 2 axes, 9 shovels, 2 lanterns, a large gong, 10 water cans, each 
holding enough for two charges, a brass rail along the sides, and under 
the driver's seat 60 charges of acid and soda, was about $400 each. 

Doubtless this is a more . expensive wagon than others rendering similar 
service. The bare wagon, fitted with pole, nicely painted and lettered, 
cost without freight in Indiana $135. The outfitting was done here by 
local men. Each extinguisher stands by itself in a case, so that there 




LINCOLN WAGON. 




PEMBROKE FOREST WARDEN APPARATUS. 




WILMINGTON FOREST FIRE WAGON. 



17 

can be no chafing against each other. The water cans are also inside a 
wooden case, where their slop will not wet the chemicals. 

I presume a wagon might be fitted up, less the price of the extinguishers 
and water cans, for $150. 



Thomas Maker, Chief of Fire Department and Forest Warden, 

Mi! ford. 
The regular supply wagon of the department is used to carry the forest 
fire apparatus, which consists of 6 extinguishers, shovels and brooms. The 
forest fire alarm consists of 5 strokes, and all the men report at the station. 
From six to ten men are taken along on the wagon and they are paid 25 
cents per hour. 

Mr. Maher also says that back fires may be required in some 
instances, but they are often more disastrous than the original ones. 

S. T. Parker, Forest Warden, Wakefield. 

Wakefield has furnished apparatus for forest fires valued at $1,400. 
This apparatus consists of 268 Johnson pumps of the double acting variety, 
500 buckets and a few cans. Forty oil barrels were purchased and sunk 
in the ground in the woods, at a cost of $1 each, for a reserve supply 
of water. 

When a man receives a pump he signs a receipt for it, agreeing to 
report at any fire within half a mile. Failing in this he gives up the 
pump. The pumps may be used for other purposes, but they must be 
kept in condition for immediate use. 

Very little time is lost before men are working at the fire, and it 
seldom burns more than three or four hours. When the fire is too hot 
in front work is confined to the flanks, and the fire is gradually nar- 
rowed down until put out. In a dry season a trench is dug and water 
turned in to prevent the fire from running under ground. 

Water for the pumps is found in brooks and ponds, with which Wake- 
field is well supplied, and from the water barrels mentioned before. 

Every fire is investigated and the cause is usually discovered. If boys 
set fire their parents are notified, and if they are caught again they are 
brought before the Board. The warden keeps a record of every fire, its 
extent, cause and damage. 

J. M. Hill. Chief Fire Department and Forest Warden, Wilmington. 

The town has two single express wagons which are equipped with 20 
10-quart cans with stoppers attached, 6 Johnson pumps, 6 shovels and 3 
brooms each. The wagons are kept at opposite ends of the town. 

Men report voluntarily, and if the fire is a small one the warden or 
deputy takes the wagon with two or three men and goes to it. If more 
men are needed the fire alarm is sounded. The signal is one blast fol- 
lowed by the box number sounded thrice. 



18 

Mr. Hill thinks that good results are obtained with water and 
hand pumps, especially in his section, where on account of the rocky- 
soil there is little chance of using a shovel. Quickness in reaching 
the fire he considers is paramount. He resorts to back fires when 
a large number of men are at hand, and then only when necessary. 

Herbert Morrissey, Forest Warden, Plymouth. 

Fires are controlled by chemical extinguishers, and after the flames 
have been deadened, men with shovels finish the work by throwing on sand. 
Close watch is kept on fires, the men remaining overnight if necessary. 
The area burned is patrolled at least once the next day. When the fires 
are too hot to combat from the front this work is carried on at the flanks, 
gradually narrowing in the line until it is all put out by the men meeting 
in the middle of the line. 

The town owns about 100 extinguishers and has three especially equipped 
wagons. Two of these wagons carry 12 extinguishers each and the other 
14. The wagons are also equipped with tanks holding 50 gallons and covers 
holding an equal amount, which are put on the ground and the tanks 
emptied into them, the wagons then going for a new supply. Compart- 
ments of acid and soda are fitted into the wagon, and shovels, hoes and 
brooms are provided. 

Two men remain at the wagon to refill the empty extinguishers as they 
are brought in. Besides the extinguishers on the wagons, each of the 
twenty deputy wardens have 4, which they bring to the fire with them. 
All the extinguishers have straps, so that they may be slung on a man's 
back. One extinguisher will deaden the fire on a line from 50 to 100 
yards in length on one charge. 

Plymouth is, we believe, unique in having an iron watch tower on 
one of the highest hills in the town, for the detection of forest fires. 
The tower is of steel lattice work construction, similar to that of a 
windmill, and with a sheet-iron cabin at the top. The tower is 85 
feet tall, the hill 165 feet above the sea, so that gives the watchman 
a total elevation of 250 feet. It is connected by telephone with Mr. 
Morrissey's house. The watchman who stays up here during the 
dry seasons has a strong glass and thus is given a clear view over 
many miles of country. 

When fires are severe and the situation critical Mr. Morrissey does 
not hesitate to use back fires, which are handled as follows : — 

The warden places his men along a road, if convenient, or along 
a line of freshly dug earth extending across the face of the fire. A 
man with a torch goes along the road setting the back fire. Men 
with shovels are stationed at short intervals along the road, ready 
to deaden the flames or to stop them from jumping the road to the 




ONE OF THE WAGONS OF THE PLYMOUTH FOREST WARDEN. 




OBSERVATION POST OF FOREST FIRE DEPARTMENT ON RESER- 
VOIR HILL, PLYMOUTH, 248 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL. 



19 



woods behind. Within these woods are stationed men with extin- 
guishers, indicated in the diagram by large black dots. These men 
stand ready to put out all incipient fires lighted by flying sparks, 
and hasten forward to the aid of the men on the line when called. 




PLYMOUTH METHOD 



BACK FIRING 

Men with extinguishers 



t 



WIND *Je< DIRECTION 



MAIN FIRE 
WITH THE" WIND 



In Plymouth fires set by locomotives are usually put out by the 
section men, but when the forest warden is called the railway com- 
pany reimburses the town for the expense. 

Permission to build fires in the open must be obtained from the 
warden. Cranberry bog owners are treated with leniency when 
obliged to build smudge fires to protect their crops from frost. All 
fires for clearing up brush are guarded by a wagon and crew, the 
owner of the property paying the charge for the protection. 



C. H. Trowbridge, Forest Warden, Oakham. 

When a forest fire breaks out the warden telephones all persons having 
fire extinguishers to turn out, and then, taking what men and extinguishers 
he can muster, he hastens to the fire at once. 

At the fire it is the custom of the warden to have three or four men 
follow him along the line to pass forward loaded extinguishers and take 
back empty ones for recharging. 

Water for recharging the extinguishers is brought in cans from the 
nearest supply. Much of the advantage of extinguishers over a chemical 
wagon is that they may be carried with their cans to inaccessible places 
in the woods. 



20 

Oakham owns 34 extinguishers, which have been placed in private houses 
throughout the town. Many more persons applied for them than could be 
supplied. Next year the town intends to buy enough to supply the de- 
mand. The first ones cost $18, but a substantial reduction was obtained 
by ordering a large quantity. While there are many kinds of extinguishers, 
those most effective at woods fires are provided with an arrangement 
which cuts off the stream by means of a valve which stops the flow of 
acid. Such a device saves the remainder of the soda charge, so that it 
may be used at intervals when needed. Those chemicals using the whole 
charge are useful in buildings. Every small town should have some such 
protection as this of Oakham. Many houses have been saved here by 
extinguishers when a bad fire seemed inevitable. 

J. A. Healy, Forest Warden, Westford. 
I will give you the list of the fire tools of the town of Westford: 30 
shovels, 30 hand pumps, 12 extinguishers, 60 pails. 
Enclosed find picture of fire wagon. 

F. B. Knapp, Forest Warden, Duxbury. 

Our woodland area covers about two-thirds that of the town, and pro- 
duces cord wood, box boards and some better lumber. It forms part of 
a continuous forest extending into adjoining towns, but is split up by 
roads, ponds and open spaces. There are numerous isolated farms liable 
to damage from forest fires. 

Our liability to fire is considerable. A railroad runs the length of the 
town, many strangers come for mayflowers in the spring and cranberry 
bogs are in process of construction. The soil is bight and the woods get 
very dry. 

The town is liberal in its appropriation and appreciates our efforts. 
Telephones are pretty common, and the men turn out well. We are in 
close touch with the railroad people and co-operate with them. 

The forest warden and fire departments are technically distinct, but 
work together. I am chief of the fire department, and all of the engineers 
are deputy wardens. One commissary looks after all of the apparatus. 

We have 2 60-gallon hand combination fire engines (used for forest 
fires when specially called out), 4 forest fire wagons, and several private 
ones used at times, 100 3-gallon Standard extinguishers scattered through- 
out the town, shovels, mattocks, etc. 

The fire wagons vary, but this one is typical : A light, one-horse express 
wagon, 4 extinguishers, 6 boxes, each with 6 charges of chemicals, 16 
3-gallon Marshfield cans, not completely filled (on account of weight), 10 
shovels, 2 mattocks, 2 axes, 2 lanterns, torches. 

We spread the alarm of fire by direct telephoning and by bells. In 
times of great danger a man is stationed in a church belfry. 

We are inaugurating a system of outlooks in conjunction with the 
Plymouth fire tower. Our tower is the Standish monument, on Captain's 
Hill. From these two points the compass bearings of an incipient fire 
can be read and telephoned to a central station. These lines are then 
run out on the United States geological survey map, allowance being 




WESTFORD FIRE WAGON 



21 

made for the difference between the true and magnetic north. If the 
compass readings are correct the intersection of the two lines gives the 
position of the fire. 

ifgpjiireit FlVt 



% 

\ 



n 



Toiler oi)Cil>tWs Hill '*~~ > \ - ComlUSiRejJ'mtH ~~.^ r T T- 

I n„, I ^ 1 cajicc i .«.=," 7 *-^ Iron lower 



r 1 ^^ 



Duv.buru p=p V Base Line 



1 



Crnnjuss flNdings •^JT' 

4 

I 
I 

"■^ ♦-» 



Plymouth 



'**, 



3 

DIAGRAM v ^ I 



SH0WIN& METHOO 

OrLOCATIN&riFTES 



i 

N „ 'incident 
\*- Jwert fTre 



y Stverdl Miles 
rrom Ether To-rter 



At a small fire we do not attempt any thorough organization, but we 
organize at serious fires as follows. All are familiar with the organization, 
either through experience or printed instructions. 

Chief. — The forest warden or deputy of the district. Does not stay at 
any one point, but overlooks the whole line. Informs himself carefully as 
to the extent of the fire and picks out the critical points. If the attack 
on one line is unsuccessful he draws the men back to another. 

Aids. — Messengers for the chief. 

Deputy Wardens. — Act for section as chief does for whole, or, at 
smaller fires, are simply foremen. 

Foremen. — Each has from four to six men, who stay with him until 
the fire is out. Each foreman and his crew form the units for fighting. 
As, for instance, one crew might be put to work refilling extinguishers, 
another at carrying them, another at guard duty, to prevent fresh out- 
breaks after the fire is apparently out. 

Commissary. — Takes care of the apparatus, and at the fires sees that the 
men are supplied with food and other supplies. 

[The diagram on page 22 gives this organization in graphic form and is 
remodelled from one sent in by Mr. Knapp.] 

It is essential that the work of forest fire fighting should be done as 
systematically as possible, and that the directions of the leaders should 
be faithfully carried out. The failure of a single man to do the part 
assigned to him may make useless a whole lot of hard work and cause 
a new start to be made. 



22 



If the force is too small to attempt to stop it across its whole front, 
we start to windward and work down both flanks, narrowing to the front. 
One crew with extinguishers pushes ahead and deadens the flames, and is 
followed by a second crew consisting of one man with a mattock and 



State 



• 



Forest 



Forester 



Wa rden 



Commissary 

and men 




WorKing, 



Crews 



DIAG-RAM 
Showing Effective Towb 
Ogam z.at i on 
Of Men For Fire Fghting 



four with shovels, and a reserve man. If very dry a second shovelling 
crew follows this one. Then come the guards with shovels and ex- 
tinguishers, who patrol the whole line. 

With a force strong enough to attack in front, back firing is used. 
A back fire must be set on a natural line, such as a road, but, failing in this, 




INTERIOR OF WELL-EQUIPPED WAGON. 



23 

one can be plowed. For this purpose use a strong plow drawing a nar- 
row furrow and pulled by two horses set tandem. Set a back fire as 
rapidly and continually as possible, the men with torches being followed 
by shovellers to put out fire spreading on the leeward side of the line. 
Other shovellers and extinguisher men are stationed some distance back 
in the woods to put out sparks as they fly over. 

Our work is still in the experimental stage and just at present we are 
trying to get the fire fighters more systematic, and are getting into closer 
relations with neighboring towns. 

The preceding letters were selected so as to give as wide a range 
of conditions as possible. There are letters from wardens who are 
at the same time the chiefs of organized fire departments, letters 
from wardens who have an organization distinct from the fire 
department and letters from wardens in towns which have no fire 
department. The apparatus used varies in value from $300 to 
$3,000. There are towns which have done as much or more than 
some of those mentioned above, but the fact remains that a large 
majority have made no provision for fighting forest fires. The cities 
also are as indifferent as the toAvns. It is not to be supposed that 
all the towns represented by the letters have done the best thing 
possible under the circumstances, but they have done something. 

IV. WHAT IS YOUR TOWN DOING? 

Ox Forest Fire Protection. 
Apparatus. 

Every town having 1,000 acres or more of forest land should have 
some form of apparatus, its amount depending, of course, on the 
financial ability of the town, the acreage of forest land and the value 
the inhabitants set upon it. Cities and towns having organized 
departments should see that special provision is made for combating 
forest fires, whether the warden is a member of the fire department 
or not. 

The equipment best suited to various localities will, of course, 
vary in detail, but a practical outfit will include the following 
essential things : — 

1. A stout express wagon. Gold paint and brass work are not 
necessary to its practicability, and a second-hand wagon in good 
condition would fulfill all requirements. 

2. Five or P> chemical extinguishers of a reputable make, and 
costing from $12 to $20 each. 

3. A dozen or more cans, with attached covers, and filled with 



24 

water in which soda has been dissolved ready to recharge the extin- 
guishers. Large milk cans are often used, but cannot as a rule 
withstand hard service. 

4. Extra charges of soda and acid carried in proper receptacles. 

5. Shovels, mattocks, axes, rakes, hoes and brooms, as many as the 
wagon will conveniently carry. 

Such an outfit will cost from $300 up. 

Organization. 
Each warden should have some kind of organization, although 
the exact form will depend a good deal on local circumstances. The 
warden and each deputy should have a small crew of men whom he 
can call quickly and upon whom he can rely. No others should be 
taken to the fire unless its size makes it imperative. Such a plan 
will stop irresponsible people from setting fires in the woods merely 
to get a job at putting them out. 

Fire Lines. 

This subject is a rather unsatisfactory one to discuss, because 
although more or less has been written on it, there have never any 
real tests been made. 

A fire line as ordinarily described is a strip through the woods 
from which all the growth has been removed. Some people acting 
on this description have made fire lines which were veritable traps. 
They cleaned out all the trees and undergrowth and there left it. 
Consequently during the next year it came up to sprouts and bram- 
bles. To keep such a line clear it must be mowed and burned over 
every year, although of course as time goes on grass will take the 
place of brambles and sprouts, and this can be easily burned over. 
The cost of such a line made for the Metropolitan Water Board at 
the Wachusett Reservoir was $150 a mile. 

What appears to be a very efficient fire guard is to be found on 
the estate of Mr. Charles Francis Adams, Esq., in Lincoln. It con- 
sists of a trench 6 feet wide and dug down to mineral soil (about 2 
feet), paralleling the railroad track at a distance averaging 60 feet 
from the center of the right of way. We are of the opinion that if 
the distance had been 100 feet there would be less likelihood of 
cinders blowing over it. Between this ditch and the track the under- 
brush has been cut and the dead leaves are annually burned. The 
large trees are left undisturbed, and serve as a screen to catch the 
flying sparks. Except in the case of a very high wind this line is 
fireproof. It is two miles long. 




FIRE LINE, METROPOLITAN WATER BOARD RESERVATION, 
BOYLSTON. 




FIRE LINE. ADAMS ESTATE, LINCOLN 
(WINTER SCENE). 



25 

A similar but cheaper line could be made by running a few fur- 
rows with a plow instead of digging a trench. Mr. Knapp contem- 
plates the use of a rotary disk plow followed by a drag to smooth 
oyer the ground. A plowed line of this sort would not be sure to 
keep a fire from running under ground while the trench would. 

Just a word of protest should be inserted here against the common 
practice of cutting brush along the side of country roads, where it 
lies, making fuel for the first match that is thrown into it. 

One of the best natural fire lines is the old wood road. These 
roads are more or less common, and often ground fires run up and 
skirt them and there terminate. Were these old roads kept cleaned 
and widened, with an idea of usefulness as a fire line as well as 
for getting out forest products, they could be made to serve both 
purposes. 

Forest wardens will do well to emphasize the importance of 
having all large forest tracts and even relatively small areas sub- 
divided by fire lines, and thus be able to concentrate forces on 
definite units. System and forethought will put out many fires 
before they even occur. 

Old stone walls relieved of debris, as leaves, brush, etc., also 
may be utilized as splendid fire protectors. Fires will run up to 
and skirt these old walls without crossing them if these walls are 
cared for. 

Patrol. 

The old saw concerning the stitch in time which saves nine ought 
to be changed to nine thousand when applied to fire. The quickest 
and surest way to handle a forest fire is to be on the watch for it. 
"We have seen in the report of Warden Morrissey of Plymouth how 
that town handles the situation with its tower. This idea is worthy 
of wider application. Where the topography admits it, several 
towns could combine to maintain such a station. The Forest Com- 
missioner of Maine maintains several watchmen, who are stationed 
on some of the highest mountains in the forest region of the State. 

The first place to start a patrol would be along the railroads, for, 
relative to the territory covered, far more fires are started there than 
elsewhere. Imagine a small car mounted on the rails, run by gaso- 
line, capable of carrying one man, a couple of extinguishers and 
other tools and geared to a speed of 35 miles an hour. A man so 
provided could cover a 50-mile stretch of track five times a day. 
The dangerous season for which a patrol would be needed usually 
extends from the 15th of March to the 1st of Juno and from the 
15th of September to the 1st of December, — 150 days in all. 



26 

The expense for wages and supplies would be $500 per man. The 
machines might cost $500 each. Let us imagine ten such patrols 
distributed as follows and see how well they cover the danger points. 
We do not mean by this that ten men are adequate; but they are 
enough for an experiment. 

New Haven Eailroad. 
Plymouth Division. 
Brockton to Provincetown, 100 miles, two men, $1,000. 
Braintree to Plymouth (main line) and Middleborough Branch, 40 miles, 
one man, $500. 

Midland Division. 
Norwood Central to Douglas, 40 miles, one man, $500. 

Boston & Albany Eailroad. 
Main Line. 
Westfield to Pittsfield, 40 miles, one man, $500. 
Ware Eiver Branch, 50 miles, one man, $500. 

Boston & Maine Eailroad. 
Fitchburg to Greenfield, 65 miles, two men, $1,000. 
Central Massachusetts, Hudson to Belchertown, 50 miles, $500. 

Central Vermont Eailroad. 
Miller's Falls to Monson, 50 miles, one man, $500. 

Total cost: New Haven, $2,000; Boston & Albany Eailroad, $1,000; 
Boston & Maine Eailroad, $1,500; Central Vermont Eailroad, $500. 

These figures do not allow for the cost of the machines, which 
would double them for the first year. No allowance is made for 
patrols at night, for as a rule comparatively few forest fires start 
at night, as there is little wind and the ground is covered with dew. 

Another scheme is suggested which would make it compulsory 
along certain sections of track for the section men to detail one 
of their crew to follow all trains over their section. A crew of 
five men near Marshfield is said to have spent 50 per cent, of its 
time during certain weeks of last summer in fighting fire. It 
would have been real economy for the railroad if one man, or 
20 per cent, of the force, had been detailed to patrol the track 
and put out the fires when they first started. 

The advantage of this last scheme is that it is more elastic 
than the first one, because it can be put in operation when needed 
and drawn off when not, regardless of months. It also fits into 



27 

the ordinary manner of administering the right of way. It would 
take five men to cover the ground which one could under the first 
plan, so the annual cost would undoubtedly average more. 

That the railroads can afford to expend something on the patrol- 
ling of their tracks will be plain from the following list of damage 
claims paid by railroads in Massachusetts. If the figures of 1908 
were at hand it is probable that increases of 200 per cent, would 
be found. It will be seen that the patrol only has to stop about 
10 per cent, of the fires in order to justify the expense. 

Table 4. — Forest Fire Damages paid by Railroads in Massachusetts. 

New London Northern: 

For three years ending June 30, 1906, $8,339 36 

Boston & Albany: 

Nov. 1, 1903, to Nov. 1, 1904, 4,699 33 

Nov. 1, 1904, to Nov. 1, 1905, 8,450 60 

Nov. 1, 1905, to July 20, 1906, 7,244 62 

Boston & Maine: 

1903, 34,859 15 

1904, 19,426 36 

1905, 35,560 89 

New York, New Haven & Hartford: 

Year ending June 30, 1902, 13,658 49 

Year ending June 30, 1903, 19,107 79 

Year ending June 30, 1904, 19,395 55 

Year ending June 30, 1905, 26,311 20 

Year ending June 30, 1906, 45,112 96 

In addition to patrolling by the railroads along their line, the 
State should be ready in emergencies to put on a patrol in other 
sections. The Forest Commissioner of Maine has an emergency 
appropriation of $20,000 which he can use for such means. His 
average annual expenditure from this fund has been $9,000, but 
last year he exhausted the entire amount before the 1st of Sep- 
tember. For a State of the area of Massachusetts probably $5,000 
would constitute an ample emergency fund. The burden of patrol 
work is put not on the towns but on the State, because the saving 
of the forests is a problem which the State as a whole is interested 
in, and the expense of it should not be borne by the towns, which 
are forced now to pay the entire cost of fire fighting. As a rule, 
those towns having the largest area of forest land are the least 
able, from the financial standpoint, to protect it. In the States 
of New York and Minnesota one-half the expense of fighting fire? 
is borne by the State; in Michigan it is one-third ; in Ts T ew Jersey 
one-half, and in Connecticut one-fourth is paid by the State and 



28 

one-fourth by the county. Massachusetts is one of the few States 
having an organized forest fire fighting force in which the Com- 
monwealth is not specifically obliged to assume part of the expense. 

On Damage by Forest Fires. 

There are many ways in which a fire injures the woods, some 
of which are well known and fully appreciated, but several of 
the most important are not usually considered when the cost of a 
fire is estimated. 

First. — A fire may kill the standing timber. This is always 
the case when a top or crown fire occurs. In some cases such fire- 
killed timber can be utilized, but it does not bring a good sale 
value on the market and only a part of the loss can be recovered. 

Second. — A light fire may run through a stand and kill a tree 
here and there. In this case the damage is not so apparent as 
when all the trees are killed, but a close examination of the wood- 
lot through which surface fire has gone reveals the fact that other 
trees do not escape without injury. It may be a slight scorching 
of the bark, or the roots near the surface of the ground may be 
damaged. Such trees die later on, because in this weakened con- 
dition they are no longer able to withstand the attacks of insects 
and fungi. Chestnut is a tree peculiarly susceptible to fire scorch. 

Third. — The vegetable part of the soil, or humus, as it is called, 
is consumed by a fire as well as the leaves and other litter which 
would make a future supply of humus. The destruction of the 
humus affects the fertility of the soil in a marked degree. The 
elements which tend to conserve the soil moisture are thus de- 
stroyed. 

Fourth. — A forest fire may result in a change in the compo- 
sition of the stand of trees. It is often followed by a growth of 
poplars, birches, scrub oak and blueberry, which growth has little 
or no value and is hard to get rid of. 

Fifth. — Owing to the moisture-conserving elements which have 
been destroyed and the rank new growth which succeeds the fire, 
land which has been burned over is made more liable to fire, so 
that each successive fire means danger of another. 

Sixth. — The young growth or reproduction is nearly always 
killed. In the long run this is probably the greatest injury of all, 
although it is seldom counted when the loss through a forest fire 
is being reckoned. 

When one comes to estimate the damage caused by fire in terms 



29 



of money he finds it a hard proposition. Allowance must be made 
for all injuries that can possibly be expressed in dollars and cents, 
which, except in case of mature growth which has been entirely 
destroyed, a rare case, calls for a lot of judgment. By mature 
growth we do not mean that the trees have stopped growing in 
volume, but that their rate of increase does not keep pace with the 
interest on their value. For a pine stand this age would be from 
fifty to sixty years : chestnut sprouts, forty to fifty years ; sprout 
oak, thirty to forty years. To find the value of these stands before 
they are mature, their expectation value at that age should be 
discounted to the present date at 6 per cent. The expectation 
value of these three types of stands at maturity could be averaged 
as follows, although of course a great deal would depend on the 
situation of the stand. Pine, $250 per acre; sprout chestnut, 
$60 per acre; and mixed sprout hardwoods, $30 per acre. At 
ten years of age, and discounted at 6 per cent., the value per acre 
would be as follows : — 



Mature 

Age 
(Tears). 



Expecta- 
tion 
Value. 



Taxes and 
Interest. 



Value at 
Ten Years. 



White pine, . 
Sprout chestnut, . 
Sprout hardwoods, 
Gray birch, . 



$250 
75 
30 
20 



$50 



$19 40 

8 70 

1 70 

55 



The above values, it must be remembered, take no account of 
the injury to the soil. It must also be remembered that a severe 
injury to a young tree amounts to total destruction, since there 
would be little chance of its reaching merchantable size and much 
less financial maturity. 

Extracts from Wardens' Letters. 
These paragraphs from wardens' letters were selected because 
they contained miscellaneous points of interest. Most of the let- 
ters which contained information on fire fighting have been given 
under that heading. 



A. E. Travis, Deputy Forest Warden, Barre. 

The fires of the 24th were set by a locomotive. The two larger fires 
were set at 9.30 a.m. between mile posts 29 and 30; the smaller fire was 
started at 2.30" p.m. on the return trip, near mile post 29. 



30 

No section men came to any of these fires and as far as I can make 
out no fire call was sounded by the locomotive. 

Our fire department was called, but all that saved us from a severe loss 
was the wind. 

T. B. Tubman, Warden, Brewster. 

I write you this letter hoping that you will do something about these 
abominable railway fires. The railroad will not give the section foreman 
a man to follow the trains, nor does it seem possible that they inspect their 
screens as they should. Can you not influence the company to remedy 
this evil so their engines will run over the road without burning up all 
the woodland? 

I have been a fire warden for about ten years, but have never known 
anything like the number of locomotive fires during April, except one 
day last summer when the Boston train set thirteen fires. 

A. P. Baker, Forest Warden, Dennis. 

Woods fires reported from South Dennis are set by locomotives. As 
the same engines do not pass over the road every day, it is impossible to 
report them for the inspection of their spark arresters. 

Fires are of almost daily occurrence some weeks. Thus far I have 
been able to get to them very soon after they start, thus preventing much 
damage. 

Ralph Earle, Forest Warden, Dighton. 
I am reporting the only fire which the town has had this year. This 
I feel is due to our excellent fire laws being well advertised among the 
people. 

E. E. Chapman, Forest Warden, Ludlow. 

I have issued to fourteen different persons permits to set fire. 

I have had two fires to date where I called out a large number of men. 
They were extinguished by back firing from a plowed furrow across the 
face of the fire. 

H. J. Montgomery, Forest Warden, North Adams. 
The warning notices printed on cloth, calling attention to the fire laws, 
and sent out by the State Forester, have been a very effective check on 
forest fires here this season. 

■A. F. Howlett, Forest Warden, Spencer. 
The selectmen think that the railroad company should at least pay 
half the expense that it costs this town to fight the numerous brush fires 
set by locomotives. 

A. C. Warner, Forest Warden, Sunderland. 
We have been for the past two days fighting the worst fire that we 
have ever had in Sunderland. It was started by a locomotive of the 
Central Vermont Eailroad. I believe the fire covered more than 200 acres 



31 

of valuable timber land. I have had 125 men out and think that it is 
under control, but shall maintain a watch on it for a few days. 

This fire is only one of a number set in the same locality by the Central 
Vermont. 

Aharado Henry, Forest Warden, Upton. 

Please send me more blue books with the forest laws as I have ap- 
pointed nine deputies. 

I have had extracts of the forest laws printed on postal cards, which 
I sent to every voter in the town, so that all may know its mandates. 

E. A. Young, Forest Warden, Hubbardston. 

There have been many small fires along the railroad which have been 
taken care of by the section men and of which I have no account. No 
timber of consequence has been destroyed. 

In this unusually dry year adjoining towns have all suffered severely 
from fires. I believe that the small loss and light cost of fighting fires in 
Hubbardston have been due to: — 

First. — The enforcement of the law against setting fires without a 
permit. 

Second The co-operation of citizens with the forest warden and his 

deputies to prevent fires of careless origin, and the prompt reporting of 
fires where observed. 

During the danger period of the past year special warnings were posted 
and all citizens were requested to extinguish or report small fires. 

On the Work of Game Wardens. 

This book may well close with a short tribute to the work of 
the deputies of the Fish and Game Commission. Of the nine 
arrests and convictions made for violations of the fire laws, seven 
were brought about by these two men, Deputy H. A. Bent of 
Franklin, four men, and Deputy T. L. Burney of Lynn, three 
cases. The Lynn offenders were boys. Twelve other deputies re- 
ported to the commission that they had seen and aided in ex- 
tinguishing nearly fifty fires. The reports of a few of them are 
here appended. 

Walter A. Larhin, Andover. 

I have put out three fires since I have been here; one in Haverhill, set 
by fishermen; one at Foster Pond, Andover, and one recently in Bedford. 
The fishermen at Foster Pond set the fire to drive away mosquitoes. I have 
spoken to them and no more have been set. 

Allen A. David, Taunton. 
As to forest fires, I have put out ten of them last year. Nine out 
of ten were along the railroad track and the other in the woods. Three 
fires did not do much damage, on account of being put out before they 
got much headway. 



32 



Irving 0. Converse, Fitchburg. 
Fires found and extinguished alone, 2; fires found and department 
called out, 3 ; fires found and section hands notified, 3 ; fires found and 
farmers called upon. 

William H. Leonard, East Foxborough. 

I have, with the assistance of one man, put out two woods fires, one in 
North Attleborough and one in Foxborough. I called out the fire depart- 
ment in the latter town and also notified the chief in Blaekstone of a 
forest fire. 

Strange to say, many of the towns in the district have been quite im- 
mune compared with former years. 

In travelling along the railroad line in Bellingham and Blaekstone one is 
astounded at the vast acreage of woodland forever destroyed by fires. 

While in Kingston in October I was told that a fire there in July last 
cost the town hundreds of dollars just to fight it ($1,500). 

D. E. Wansey, Montague City. 

Sunday I saw a forest fire and went out with my son and fought it all 
the afternoon. 

Francis B. Osborne, Hingham. 
Number of forest fires extinguished, 5. All of these were in the first 
stages and help was required only in one. I think that the cause of them 
was in at least two cases locomotives. 

V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS. 



Town or City. 


Badge 

No. 


Warden. 


Abington, 








287 


B. Ernest Wilkes, chief fire department. 


Acton, . 








181 


William H. Kingsley. 


Acushnet, 








275 


Geo. T. Parker, selectman. 


Adams, 








7 


John Clancy. 


Agawam, 








93 


Edward M. Hitchcock. 


Alford, 








24 


John H. Wilcox. 


Amesbury, 








228 


James E. Feltham, chief fire department. 


Amherst, 








67 


G. E. Stone, tree warden. 


Andover, 








212 


J. H. Playdon, tree warden. 


Arlington, 








193 


Walter H. Pierce, chief fire department. 


Ashburnham, 






104 


William D. Miller. 


Ashby, 






158 


Henry A. Lawrence. 



33 



V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS — Continued. 



Town or City. 



Badge 
No. 



Warden. 



Ashfield, 

Ashland, 

Athol, . 

Attleborough, 

Auburn, 

Avon, . 

Ayer, . 

Barnstable, 

Bar re, . 

Becket, 

Bedford, 

Belchertown, 

Bellingham, 

Belmont, 

Berkley, 

Berlin, 

Bernardston 

Beverly, 

Billerica, 

Blackstone, 

Blandford, 

Bolton, 

Bourne, 

Boxborough 

Boxford, 

Boylston, 

Brain tree, 

Brewster, 

Bridgewater 

Brimfield, 

B rock ton, 

Brookfield, 



50 
200 
105 
265 
123 
259 
169 
315 
142 

23 
179 

73 
326 
194 
271 
139 

39 
220 
173 
114 

81 
146 
311 
182 
218 
138 
244 
318 
293 

99 
286 
120 



Chas. A. Hall. 

H. H. Piper. 

Jas. A. Dunbar. 

Hiram Packard, 3 Hope Street, chief fire depart- 
ment. 
J. Fred Searle. 

E. Walter Packard, constable. 

Henry E. Sanderson. 

Henry C. Bacon, P. O. Hyannis. 

D. H. Rice. 
Elmer D. Ballou. 
Chas. E. Williams. 
James A. Peeso, constable. 
L. F. Thayer, town treasurer. 

John F. Leonard, chief fire department. 
Gideon H. Babbitt. 
Walter Cole, constable. 

E. E. Benjamen. 

Levi K. Goodhue, chief fire department. 

Geo. C. Crosby, chief engineer fire department. 

Thomas Reilly. 

Stephen Bodurtha. 

Frank A. Powers, tree warden. 

Emory A. Ellis, P. O. Bournedale. 

M. L. Wetherbee, selectman. 

Harry L. Cole, selectman. 

Chas. S. Knight, metropolitan watchman. 

James M. Cutting, special police, P. O. South 

Braintree. 
T. B. Tubman, highway surveyor, P. O. North 

Brewster. 
Edwin S. Rhoades. 

Edward J. Prindle. 

Harry C. Marston, chief fire department. 

David N. Hunter 



34 



V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS — Continued. 



Town or City. 



Warden. 



Brookline, . 




237 


Buckland, . 




49 


Burlington, . 




178 


Canton, 




249 


Carlisle, 




171 


Carver, 




304 


Charlemont, 




42 


Charlton, 




115 


Chatham, 




320 


Chelmsford, 




172 


Cheshire, 




11 


Chester, 




80 


Chesterfield, 




63 


Chicopee, 




87 


Chilmark, . 




308 


Clarksburg, . 




3 


Clinton, 




146 


Cohasset, 




246 


Colrain, 




37 


Concord, 




180 


Conway, 




51 


Cummin gton, 




60 


Dalton, 




14 


Dana, . 




147 


Danvers, 




210 


Dartmouth, . 




278 


Dedham, 




241 


Deerfield, 




52 


Dennis, 




317 


Dighton, 




272 


Douglas, 




112 


Dover, . 




240 



Geo. H. Johnson, chief fire department. 

William Sauer, P. O. Shelburne Falls. 

Walter L. Skelton, tree warden. 

Laurence Horton, fire engineer, P. O. Ponkapoag. 

Herbert P. Dutton, selectman. 

Eugene E. Shaw. 

Fred D. Legate. 

Carlos Bond. 

Geo. H. Eldredge. 

Ralph P. Adams. 

Chas. D. Cummings. 

William H. Babb. 

Chas. A. Bisbee, P. O. Bisbee. 

John H. Pomphret, chief fire department. 

Ernest C. Mayhew. 

Robert Lanfair, R. F. D. No. 1, P. O. North 

Adams. 
Daniel W. Goss, 40 East Street. 

Wm. J. Brennock, captain fire department. 

Wm. H. Davenport. 

G. E. Morrell, chief fire department. 

Chas. Parsons, tree warden. 

W. S. Gabb, 1 P. O. Swift River. 

William M. Colton, forester, Flint Stone Farm. 

Elmer A. Collier, chief fire department, P. O. 

North Dana. 
Thos. E. Tinsley, tree warden. 

John W. Howland, P. O. North Dartmouth. 

Everett J. Winn, chief fire department, P. O. 

Box «>6. 
Wm. L. Harris, selectman. 

Alpheus P.Baker, constable, P. O. South Dennis. 

Ralph Earle. 

W. L. Church, county commissioner. 

John Breagy. 



1 Proprietor of the Elm Tree Inn. 



35 



V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS —Continued. 



Town ok City. 


Badge 
No. 


Warden. 


Dracut, 


163 


Adelbert P. Bryant, 790 Pleasant Street. 


Dudley, 


110 


F. A. Putnam. 


Dunstable, . 


161 


Dexter Butterfield. 


Duxbury, 


303 


Fred B. Knapp, master Powder Point School. 


East Bridgewater, 


298 


Loren A. Flagg, chief fire department, P. 0. Elm- 
wood. 
W. Horton Nickerson, road surveyor. 


Eastham, 


322 


Easthampton, 


77 


Frank P. Newkirk, tree warden. 


East Longmeadow, 


95 


Henry Ashley. 


Easton, 
Egremont, . 
Enfield, 


264 

29 
74 


John Baldwin, chief fire department, P. 0. North 

Easton. 
Frank W. Bradford, Great Barrington, R. F. D. 

No. 3. 
Chas. W. Felton. 


Erving, 


46 


Ch. H. Holmes, selectman, P. 0. Farley. 


Essex, .... 


233 


Otis 0. Story, tree warden. 


Fairhaven, . 


276 


Henry T. Howard. 


Fall River, . 


280 


William Bayard, tree warden. 


Falmouth, . 


312 


J. M. Watson. 


Fitchburg, . 
Florida, 


157 
5 


Geo. H. Hastings, superintendent, local superin- 
tendent gypsy moth. 
Fred R. Whitcomb, P. 0. Hoosac Tunnel. 


Foxborough, 


261 


Ernest A. White, chief fire department and con- 
stable. 

James Stalker, P. 0. South Framingham, assist- 
ant tree warden. 

Edward S. Cook, dealer in wood and lumber. 


Framingham, 

Franklin, 


197 
255 


Freetown, . 


274 


Andrew M. Hathaway, P. 0. Assonet. 


Gardner, 


153 


Theodore W. Dan forth. 


Gay Head, . 


343 


Leander B. Smally, Menemsha, Mass. 


Georgetown, 


224 


Clinton J. Eaton. 


Gill, . . . . 


45 


Lewis C. Muun. 


Gloucester, . 


234 


M. A. Walton. 


Goshen, 
Gosnold, 


61 
344 


Sidney F. Packard, P. 0. R. F. D. No. 2, Wil- 
liamsburg. 
Harold S. Veeder, P. 0. Cuttyhunk. 


Grafton, 


125 


Sumner F. Leonard, overseer of the poor. 


Granby, 


79 


C. N. Rust, P. 0. South Hadley. 


Granville, . 


91 


Laurence F. Henry, selectman. 



36 



V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS— Continued. 



Town or City. 


Badge 

No. 


Warden. 


Great Barrington, 


25 


Daniel W. Flynn. 


Greenfield, . 


44 


William A. Ames, tree warden. 


Greenwich, . 






327 


William H. Walker, P. 0. Greenwich Village. 


Groton, 






167 


James B. Harrington, chief fire department. 


Groveland, . 






225 


Sidney E. Johnson, 311 Center Street^ 


Hadley, 






66 


Edward P. West, tree warden. 


Halifax, 






299 


Edwin H. Vaughan, assessor. 


Hamilton, 






222 


Fred Berry, P. O. Essex, R. F. D. 


Hampden, 






97 


John S. Swenson. 


Hancock, 






9 


Chas. F. Tucker. 


Hanson, 






296 


Albert L. Dame, tree warden, P. 0. South Han- 


Hanover, 






295 


son. 
Chas. E. Damon, P. 0. Box 113, North Hanover. 


Hardwick, 






141 


Myron N. Ayers, constable. 


Harvard, 






152 


Benjamin Priest. 


Harwich, 






319 


John Condon. 


Hatfield, 






65 


John M. Strong, P. O. West Hatfield. 


Haverhill, 






216 


John B. Gordon, chief fire department. 


Hawley, 






48 


Ernest R. Seare, tree warden, P. 0. Charlemont. 


Heath, . 






36 


S. G. Benson. 


Hingham, 






289 


Geo. dishing, chief fire department. 


Hinsdale, 






15 


Lewis B. Brague, tree warden. 


Holbrook, 






247 


E. W. Austin. 


Holden, 






136 


J. W. Rice. 


Holland, 






101 


0. F. Howlett, P. 0. Southbridge, R. F. D. No. 2. 


Holliston, 






202 


Waldo A. Collins. 


Holyoke, 






85 


Chas. C. Hastings. 


Hopedale, 
Hopkinton, 






328 
201 


Walter F. Durgiu, constable, superintendent of 

parks. 
R. D. Frail. 


Hubbardstor 


i, 




149 


Ernest A. Young, tree warden. 


Hudson , 






199 


Fred W. Trowbridge, chief fire department. 


Hull, . 






329 


Smith F. Sturges, tree warden, P. 0. Allerton. 


Huntington, 




70 


Daniel B. Mack, constable. 



37 



V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS — Continued. 



Town or City. 



No. 



Hyde Park, 

Ipswich, 

Kingston, 

Lakeville, 

Lancaster, 

Lanesborough, 

Lawrence, 

Lee, 

Leicester, 

Lenox, 

Leominster, 

Leverett, 

Lexington, 

Leyden, 

Lincoln, 

Littleton, 

Longmeadow, 

Lowell, 

Ludlow, 

Lunenburg, 

Lynn, . 

Lynnfield, 

Maiden, 

Manchester, 

Mansfield, 

Marblehead, 

Marion, 

Marlborough 

Marshfield, 

Mashpee, 

Mattapoisett, 

Maynard, 



330 
223 
301 
283 
151 

10 
214 

22 
122 

18 
155 

57 
188 

38 
187 
170 

94 
165 

88 
156 
331 
209 
191 
236 
263 
332 
306 
198 
202 
313 
281 
184 



Harry Higbee. 

Augustus J. Barton. 

Thos. W. Bailey, selectman. 

Nathan F. Washburn, P. O. Middleborough. 

Everett M. Hawkins, chief fire department. 

King D. Keeler, constable. 

Chas. G. Butter, chief fire department. 

James W. Bossidy. 

Walter E. Sprague. 

Geo. W. Fitch. 

William K. Morse, chief fire department, T P. O. 

North Leominster. 
Orman C. Marvel, assessor. 

Azor P. Howe. 

Herman W. Severance, Bernardston. 

Edward R. Farrer, tree warden. 

Chas. F. Johnson, town clerk. 

Oscar C. Pomeroy. 

Edward S. Hosmer, chief fire department. 

Edward E. Chapman, constable. 

Clayton E. Stone. 

Nathan M. Hawkes, park commissioner. 

Thos. E. Cox, P. O. Wakefield R. F. D. 

Frank Turner. 

Frederick Burnham. 

Herbert E. King. 

William H. Stevens. 

Isaac E. Hiller. 

Chas. H. Andrews, chief fire department. 

Edward E. Ames. 

Joseph A. Peters. 

Everet C. Stetson. 

Arthur J. Coughlan.room 17, Maynard's block. 



38 



V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS — Continued. 



Town or City. 


Badge 
No. 


Warden. 


Medfield, . 


252 


Waldo E. Kingsley, chief fire department. 


Medford, 


192 


Chas. Bacon, chief fire department. 


Medway, 


254 


Clyde C. Hunt, captain fire department. 


Mendon, 


119 


Alhert W. Gaskell. 


Merriinac, . 


227 


Edgar P. Sargent. 


Methuen, 


213 


Alfred H. Wagland, tree warden. 


Middleborough, . 


281 


C. W. Weston. 


Middlefield, 


342 


Thos. H. Fleming, P. O. Bancroft. 


Middleton, . 


211 


William W. Richardson. 


Milford, 


127 


Thos. F. Maher, chief fire department. 


Millbury, 


124 


William E. Horn. 


Millis, . 


253 


Chas. La Croix. 


Milton, 


242 


Nathaniel T. Kidder, park commissioner. 


Monroe, 


34 


S. R. Tower. 


Monson, 


98 


Omer E. Broadway. 


Montague, . 


53 


Fred W. Lyman, lumber dealer. 


Monterey, . 


28 


Andrew J. Hall. 


Montgomery, 


82 


Frank C. Preston, P. O.Huntington. 


Mount Washington, . 


30 


Fred Porter. 


Nantucket, . 


333 


Albert R. Coffin. 


Natick, 


204 


William E. Daniels. 


Needham, . 


238 


Howard H. Upham, captain fire department. 


New Ashford, 


6 


Henry B. Baxter. 


New Bedford, 


277 


Edward F. Dahill, chief fire department. 


New Braintree, . 


131 


E. L. Haven. 


Newbury, 


231 


William P. Bailey. 


Newburyport, 


230 


David Kent, 26 Arlington Street. 


New Marlborough, 


32 


Dennis Hayes, P. O. Mill River. 


New Salem, 


55 


Ransen King, P. O. Cooleyville. 


Newton, 
Norfolk, 


205 
256 


Walter B. Randlett, chief fire department, P. 0. 

West Newton. 
C. Albert Murphy. 


North Adams, 


4 


H. J. Montgomery, chief fire department. 



39 



V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS — Continued. 



Town or City. 


Badge 
No. 


Warden. 


Northampton, 


72 


Fredrick E. Chase. 


North Andover, . 


215 


Geo. A. Rea. 


North Attleborough, 


262 


Harvey W. Tufts, chief fire department. 


Northborough, 


140 


T. P. Haskell. 


Northbridge, 


117 


W. E. Beemap, P. O. Whitinsville. 


North Brookfield, 


12!) 


H. S. Lytle, chief fire department. 


Northfield, . 


40 


Fred W. Doane. 


North Reading, . 


175 


Irving F. Batchelder. 


Norton, 


266 


Alden G. Walker. 


Norwell, 




290 


John Wahlen. 


Norwood, 




250 


J. Fred Boy den, chief fire department. 


Oak Bluffs, 




334 


Samuel N. Kidder. 


Oakham, 




135 


Chas. H. Trowbridge. 


Orange, 




47 


Chas. E. Lane. 


Orleans, 




321 


Chas. F. Poor. 


Otis, . 




27 


Wilbur L. Strickland. 


Oxford, 




335 


A. W. Stafford, North Oxford. 


Palmer, 




89 


James Summers, chief fire department. 


Paxton, 




130 


Geo. W. Van Wyke. 


Peabody, 




219 


Michael V. McCarthy, Forest Street. 


Pelham, 




68 


E. P. Bartlett, P. O. Amherst. 


Pembroke, 




294 


Jos. J. Shepard. 


Pepperell, 
Peru, . 




160 
16 


Geo. G. Tarbell, P. O. East Pepperell, Room 17, 

Aldine block. 
Clarence W. Hathaway. 


Petersham, 




148 


George P. Marsh. 


Phillipston, 




106 


William C. Goddard. 


Pittsfield, 




13 


Lucien D. Hazard. 


Plainville, 




59 


Harlie E. Thompson. 


Plainfield, 




309 


Lestan E. Parker. 


Plymouth, 




302 


Herbert Morrisey. 


Plympton, 




300 


Thomas W. Blanchard. 


Prescott, 




69 


Waldo H. Pierce, P. O. Greenwich Village. 



40 



V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS — Continued. 



Town or City. 


Badge 
No. 


Warden. 


Princeton, . 




150 


J. Heyden Stimpson. 




Provincetown, 




325 


James H. Barnett. 




Quincy, 






243 


Peter J. Williams, chief fire department. 




Randolph, 






248 


Chas. A. Wales, chief fire department. 




Rayuham, 






270 


John V. Festing. 




Reading, 






176 


Herbert E. Mclntire. 




Rehoboth, 






258 


Silas A. Pierce. 




Richmond, 






17 


T. B.Salmon. 




Rochester, 






282 


William N. Smellie. 




Rockland, 






288 


John H. Burke, water commissioner. 




Rockport, 






235 


A. J. McFarland, P. O. Box 91. 




Rowe, . 






35 


Solomon Granger, P. O. Zoar. 




Rowley, 






232 


Daniel O'Brien, agent Gypsy Moth Commission. 


Royalston, 






102 


Willard W. White, P. O. South Royalston. 




Russell, 






83 


Sidney F. Shurtleff, highway surveyor. 




Rutland, 






143 


Henry Converse, chief fire department. 




Salisbury, 






229 


Wm. H. Evans. 




Sandisfield, 






33 


Lyman H. Clark, P. O. New Boston. 




Sandwich, 






314 


John F. Carlton, P. 0. Spring Hill. 




Saugus, 






207 


Eugene Stephens. 




Savoy, . 






8 


Herbert H. Fitzroy, 1 P. 0. Savoy Center. 




Scituate, 






291 


Percival S. Brown, tree warden. 




Seekonk, 
Sharon, 






267 
251 


John L. Barker, P. 0. Attleborough, R. F. 

No. 4. 
John G. Phillips. 


D. 


Sheffield, 






31 


Geo. G. Peck. 




Shelburne, 






43 


Samuel Oates, P. 0. Shelburne Falls. 




Sherborn, 






203 


Milo F. Campbell, constable, South Sherborn 




Shirley, 






168 


Melvin W. Lougley, assessor. 




Shrewsbury, 




132 


Wm. E. Rice. 




Shutesbury, 




58 


Emmons J. Spear. 




Somerset, 




336 


James Wilson, fish and game warden. 




Southampton, 




76 


Geo. W. Tyler. 





1 Proprietor Grand View Farm. 



41 



V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS —Continued. 



Town or City. 



No. 



Warden. 



Southborough, 




337 


Southbridge, 




109 


Soutb Hadley, 




78 


Southwick, . 




92 


Spencer, 




121 


Springfield, . 




86 


Sterling, 




144 


Stockbridge, 




21 


Stoneham, . 




190 


Stougbton, . 




258 


Stow, . 




183 


Sturbridge, . 




108 


Sudbury, 




185 


Sunderland, 




338 


Sutton, 




116 


Swampscott, 




339 


Swansea, 




273 


Taunton, 




269 


Templeton, . 




107 


Tewksbury, . 




164 


Tisbury, 




310 


Tolland, 




90 


Topsfield, . 




218 


Townsend, . 




159 


Truro, . 




324 


Tyngsborough, 




162 


Tyringbam, . 




26 


Upton, . 




126 


Uxbridge, . 




113 


Wakefield, . 




208 


Wales, . 




100 


Walpole, 




340 



Harry Burnett, tree warden. 

Aimee Langevin, Olney Avenue. 

Joseph Beach, P. O. South Hadley Falls. 

Edward Gillett, tree warden. 

A. F. Howlett. 

Burton Steere, assistant fire chief. 

G. F. Herbert, assessor. 

Geo. Schneyer, selectman, P. O. Glendale. 

Geo. E. Sturtevant, chief fire department. 

Jesse E. Smith. 

William H. Parker, P. O. Gleasondale. 

Chas. M. Clark, P. O. Fiskdale. 

F. E. Bent. 

A. C. Warner. 

Ransom W. Richardson. 

Geo. P. Cahoon, chief fire department. 

Thos. L. Mason, constable, P. O. R. F. D. No. 2. 

Fred A. Leonard, chief fire department. 

Henry H. Seaver, P. O. Baldwinville. 

Herbert W. Pillsbury. 

Albert Rotch, P. O. Vineyard Haven. 

Eugene M. Moore. 

Isaac B. Young, selectman. 

F. J. Piper, chief fire department. 

Manuel F. Corey. 

Otis L. Wright. 

H. E. Moore. 

Alvarado Henry, chief fire department. 

Arnold S. Allen, constable and chief fire depart- 
ment. 
Samuel T. Parker 

W. W. Eager. 

N. Emmous Winslow, chief fire department. 



42 



V. LIST OF FOREST WARDENS —Continued. 



Town oe City. 


Badge 
No. 


Warden. 


Waltham, . 






195 


Geo. L. Johnson, chief fire department. 


Ware, . 






75 


L. S. Charbouneau, P. 0. Box No. 25. 


Warehain, . 






305 


Arthur B. Savary. 


Warren, 






119 


Joseph St. George, constable. 


Warwick, 






41 


Chas. H. Williams. 


Washington, 






19 


John B. Watson, R. F. D., Becket. 


Watertown, 






206 


John C. Ford, tree warden. 


Wayland, 






196 


Clarence S. Williams, Cochituate. 


Webster, 






111 


Arthur B. Patterson. 


Wellesley, . 






239 


Fletcher M. Abbott, tree warden. 


Wellfleet, . 






323 


Edwin P. Cook. 


Wendell, . 






54 


Geo. A. Lewis. 


Wenham, 






221 


Jacob D. Barnes, tree warden. 


Westborough, 






133 


James H. McDonald, chief fire department. 


West Boylston, 
West Bridgewate 


r, 




137 
285 


Frank H. Baldwin, agent Metropolitan Water 

Board. 
Octave Belmore, tree warden. 


West Brookfield, 




128 


Robert M. Carter, P. O. Box 135. 


Westfield, . 
West ford, 






84 
166 


Geo. H. Byers, chief fire department, P. O. ad- 
dress, Arnold Street. 
John A. Healey, P. O. Graniteville. 


Westhampton, 






71 


Levi Burt. 


Westminster, 






154 


John C. Goodridge, chief fire department. 


West Newbury, 






226 


Silas M. Titcomb, P. 0. Byfield. 


Weston, 






186 


Edward P. Ripley. 


Westport, 






279 


Frank Whalon, North Westport. 


West Springfield, 




341 


A. A. Sibley. 


West Stockbridge, 




20 


Bernard Manning. 


West Tisbury, 






307 


William J. Rotch. 


Westwood, . 






251 


Chas. Dean, P. 0. Islington. 


Weymouth, . 






245 


J. Rupert Walsh, P. 0. East Weymouth. 


Whately, 






56 


James A. Wood. 


Whitman, . 






297 


Clarence A. Randall, tree warden. 


Wilbraham, 






96 


Henry I. Edson, P. O. North Wilbraham. 



43 



V. 


LIST 


OF FOREST WARDENS — Concluded. 


Town or City. 


Badge 

No. 


Warden. 


Williamsburg, 

Williamstown, 

Wilmington, 

Winchendon, 

Winchester, 

Windsor, 

Woburn, 

Worcester, . 

Worthington, 

Wrentham, . 

Yarmouth, . 






64 

2 

174 

103 

189 

12 
177 
131 

62 
260 
316 


C. S. Damon. 

Daniel Russell. 

Jos. M. Hill, chief fire department, P. 0. North 

Wilmington. 
Arthur L. Brown, chief fire department. 

Irving L. Symmes, chief fire department. 

H. Ward Ford, tax collector. 

Frank E. Tracy, chief fire department. 

H. Ward Moore, Winnefred Avenue. 

Chas. E. Clark. 

Chas. E. Brown, chief fire department. 

Seth Taylor, constable. 



3 :. 




150 



* « * • 















"oK 










;• ^ & ** 



^tf 5 











C> * 













% *•« 


















^ a* 'jfltef- ^ * ^ 













» ^» *' • « • 






bO^ 







V 



















"W 



v oV* 



i • ^ < 




* ^ 



'«• *.♦* * -UK* ** ** '.wv ♦♦ ** •-' 
•j> v^> %^- f o» V^V 










^^ 















\.++ 











WttT 
BOOKBtNOI^C 

MIDDlfTOWK '» 

JULY 84 















— * 4. v «• • - 

%^. c .^iafik^ %/ 




